Nightmare Rituals part Five
by DarkHeart9397
Summary: Robin has a nightmare and seeks help from his father. The fifth installment of Nightmare Rituals. i don't think I will ever stop getting ideas for this. I hope to keep them coming for everyone! wrote by Heart Breaker.


Robin watched Batman swing through the streets of Gotham, he never paused as he used his grapnel gun to propel himself farther and farther. Richard followed him, leaping from roof to roof, with a smile on his face as they chased down the Joker. As they got closer to his hide-out, the familiar circus music filled their ears, making Robin stop in his tracks as memories of his days as a Flying Grayson filled his mind, blurring his vision with tears. Batman looked back and saw him stopped on a rooftop and turned around to face him. As he started swinging back towards Robin, a gunshot sounded. The cable snapped, Bruce looked up into Robin's masked eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry Richard." Batman fazed in and out of his vision, being replaced with Richard's mother and father.

Richard screamed, "Bruce!" Joker's maniacal laughter filled his ears, drowning out his cries and Bruce's screams. He fell to his knees as everything went black. A light shined on him as he clutched his stomach. He looked up to see Alfred standing before him, looking down his nose at him. "Alfred?"

"You could've saved him Dick. You could've saved your parents, and you could've saved me." Alfred removed his hand from his stomach, revealing blood spurting from a bullet hole. Alfred began laughing maniacally and fell over, revealing Joker pointing a gun at Robin's heart. His hand tensed and Joker squeezed the trigger. A gunshot sounded and Joker's mouth broke out into a smile as Robin fell backward, blood blossoming over his uniform and his vision going black.

###

Richard sat up in his bed with a gasp, clutching his chest and frantically scratching at where the bullet from Joker went in. He looked down and saw his chest completely empty but for a couple scars scattered across him. His breathing slowed down from its rapid pace as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I have to call Bruce…"

He grabbed his communicator from beside the bed and checked the time. "1:30 in the morning. They are all still awake. Good."

He typed in the special number and waited for the other line to answer.

"Master Dick? Why are you calling so early?"

"Alfred… I need to talk to Bruce. Where is he?"

"Richard? Are you crying?"

Dick reached up and wiped a tear off his face and stared at it for a second. "I didn't even notice. Alfred, where is Bruce?"

"Right here Dick. What do you want?"

Bruce Wayne lightly shoved Alfred out of the way of the camera and screen, allowing him to fully have Dick's attention.

Upon seeing his face Dick started crying harder, "I'm sorry Bruce. I just had a nightmare about you and Alfred dying. I am so sorry."

"Dick. There is nothing to be sorry for. I have dreams like that every night. Do you want to talk about it?"

"We were chasing the Joker down as usual when we were in Gotham and he shot you down. He shot your cable and it snapped, you fell just like my parents… and Alfred yelled at me, saying that I could've saved you, my parents, and him. Then he started laughing because of Joker's gas and he was shot through the stomach by him. Then Joker shot me… I know that it's stupid but…"

"Dick… it is not stupid. We all have dreams like that. We are all okay."

Alfred leaned over Bruce's shoulder, "Master Dick I would never blame you for anything. I promise."

"I know you guys. But I am a hero, I shouldn't have fears."

"Richard, fears are what make you human. Fear drives you to help the people of your city and it gives you that extra boost you need when Joker or Slade is actually holding that gun to your chest."

Dick sighed and brushed his tears off his face, "You know… This reminds me of the last time I came to you with a nightmare…"

Bruce smiled, "I hadn't slept for almost three days and you knocked on my door holding your robin toy. You had been crying for so long I could barely understand you and your eyes were bloodshot."

"Haha, yeah… You took me down to the kitchen and we ate ice cream until I fell asleep again."

"You also kept slipping into Romanian and I had no idea what you were saying. But you had finally stopped crying and were laughing again."

"Yeah… Thank you Bruce."

"It's not a problem Richard. Do you want me to stay on the line?"

"Yeah… I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight."

"Okay Dick."

They continued talking until Dick got so tired he slipped back into Romanian. Bruce smiled and answered him in his native tongue before Dick fell asleep. Bruce turned off the video feed and shook his head chuckling.

"Something wrong Master Bruce?"

"Oh… Nothing, Alfred. It's just, when I first became Batman did you ever think I would be a father? Much less one that will sacrifice every night for his kids?"

"In all honesty Master Bruce?"

"Yes."

"No. I did not. How is Master Jason?"

Bruce looked down at his legs where Jason Todd was clinging to them, fast asleep. "Asleep still. I'll take him up to his room." He was still in his Robin uniform, mask and everything. Bruce bent down and picked him up to carry him to bed. "Alfred?"

"Yes Master Bruce?"

"We have to buy Jason more hair dye. His roots are showing through."

Alfred just smirked and followed the two up to Jason's room. He watched Bruce tuck Jason into bed and smiled lightly at the fatherly instincts that he had. Bruce Wayne would do anything for his kids, and he proved that every night.


End file.
